A European parliament committee has invited Edward Snowden to testify via video link in its investigation of US surveillance practices.

The justice and civil liberties committee voted 36-2 with one abstention on Thursday to seek testimony from the former NSA contractor, who has exposed the reach of the US secret surveillance apparatus.

No date has been proposed and it was not immediately clear if Snowden would accept the invitation.

The investigation is aimed at drafting policy recommendations to better protect the privacy of European citizens and improve IT security in EU institutions.

Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Moscow following his revelations, which have prompted a global debate over the limits of surveillance and the value of privacy.